Description
Pumpkin crumb cake cookies are like your favorite pumpkin coffee cake, in hand-held cookie form! A soft and chewy pumpkin cookie cradles a buttery, spiced crumb topping, and a dash of pure maple flavor seals the deal: this will be your new favorite fall cookie! Do not skip blotting the pumpkin, to reduce it by half. And be sure to use only an egg yolk, not the whole egg.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup (226g) canned pumpkin puree
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 5 minutes
- 2/3 cup (133g) light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30g/ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Crumb Topping
- 1/2 cup (63g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/3 cup (67g) light or dark brown sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*
- 4 Tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
Maple Icing
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup (80g/ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 cup (112g) sifted confectioners’ sugar
- pinch salt, to taste
Instructions
- Blot the pumpkin: Line a medium bowl with several paper towels. Place the pumpkin puree in the bowl. Using another paper towel, press down to blot excess moisture out of the pumpkin. Repeat with new paper towels until the pumpkin feels much drier and has been reduced by half, to 1/2 cup (113g). Set aside.
- Make the cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and maple syrup until combined. Whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until incorporated, then whisk in the 1/2 cup of blotted pumpkin. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until combined. The cookie dough will be very soft.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- Make the crumb topping: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Using a fork or a handheld mixer on low speed, mix in the butter until sandy and crumbly. Feel free to work the mixture together with your hands if it’s not coming together. Place the topping in the refrigerator or freezer until needed in step 7.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Scoop and roll the chilled cookie dough into balls, about 1.5 Tbsp (35g) of dough each, and arrange 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Use your thumb to press a few indents into the middle of each cookie, to make a shallow bowl shape. Sprinkle a generous amount of the cold crumb topping on top of each cookie.
- Bake for 14–15 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned and set. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Make the icing: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and maple syrup together, whisking occasionally. Once the butter has melted, remove from heat and whisk in the sifted confectioners’ sugar. Taste. Add a pinch of salt, if desired. Drizzle over cookies. Icing will set after about 1 hour.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and crumb topping and store both (tightly covered) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the cookie dough or cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, add the topping, and bake as directed. You can also freeze the unbaked shaped/topped cookies (after adding the crumb topping), then bake from frozen; no need to thaw, just add an extra minute or two to the bake time.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Handheld Mixer | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can find pumpkin pie spice in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have either and want to use individual spices: for the cookie dough, use 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and an extra 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Do not leave out the 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon that is also called for in the dough. For the topping, use 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus 1/4 teaspoon each: ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground allspice.
- Pumpkin: Make sure to purchase the can labeled 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. I like Libby’s brand. Squeeze as much of the moisture out of the pumpkin puree as you can before adding it to the cookie dough. I simply squeeze the puree between paper towels. This will help produce a less cakey cookie. Less moisture is a good thing in these cookies!